5.5-Magnitude Earthquake In Iran Near Nuclear Power Plant

An earthquake of at least 5.5 magnitude struck south Iran, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Bushehr, home to the country's sole nuclear power plant, the Bushehr Nuclear Power, Thursday morning, state television reported.

The earthquake struck around 11:05 a.m. local time (2:35 am EDT), and shook Bahrain and other areas around the Persian Gulf in Iran. There were no immediate reports of any damage or casualties, Reuters reported.

There have been conflicting reports on the magnitude of the earthquake. While the United States Geological Survey put the earthquake’s magnitude at 5.5, Iranian state television, citing officials, said it was 5.9.

Iranian state TV also did not report any damage at the nuclear power plant, which has reportedly seen a number of earthquakes over the years and was allegedly built to resist damage from one.

Reports stated the epicenter of the earthquake was in the town of Kaki, the capital city of Kaki District, in Dashti County, Bushehr Province.

In Bahrain, people said they felt tremors and were evacuated from high-rise buildings. Reports also stated Iran sits on major fault lines and therefore is prone to near-daily earthquakes.

In 2003, a 6.6-magnitude quake flattened the historic city of Bam and killed 26,000 people. Bam was also near the Bushehr nuclear plant, which wasn't damaged at that time.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

The picture shows a view of buildings damaged by a 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck days before in the town of Sarpol-e Zahab in Iran's western Kermanshah province on Nov. 15, 2017.Photo: Getty Images / Atta Kenare